My (sadly) soon-to-be ex-roomie told me she'd been crying all day, and broke down again as she tried to tell me that her friend Sergio Goes had disappeared yesterday while taking photos underwater, and his body was found today,..... so was his camera.
I was assistant director a few years ago on a movie Sergio filmed about a Barbie doll who goes on a rampage, called "Bloody Blonde". Prior to our meeting, I'd worked with his son Gabriel's mom Andrea on some stage productions.
Though we never became bff's, I was always an admirer of Sergio's.
I often recommend his 2002 movie Black Picket Fence to people at my work, and a lot of times, they would tell me they already seen it and thought it was cool.
Film freaks live for Cinema Paradise that Sergio co-created with my ex-huzzbin Chris Kahunahana, which is where I first started chasing my current huzzbin, Gerard Elmore.
I went to Sergio for advice once, about interviewing someone I didn't trust. He told me regardless of how I felt, I had to admire what she helps make happen. I decided against the interview, but I love it that Sergio pointed out an example of someone you can respect a little without liking much.
And I remembered seeing Sergio at my friend Summer's son's 1st birthday luau that he included in Celebrations, his photo essay in Honolulu Magazine...the ones he won a first place award for the night he went missing.
Sergio took the photo above, but that's not the only reason I posted it.
It's beautiful that Sergio Goes died doing what he loved. That passion and hunger must've had some effect on me because I immediately sat down to pay what humble tribute I can offer. His passing is a shock, I feel like a jolt to re-energize me into living, and looking at life as honestly and lovingly as he did.
Sergio you are loved and missed.
toodlooo
PS:
Flip thru his book at sergiogoes.com
Read the sad recollections from one of Sergio's fellow divers from that day.
Here's what some other friends have said:
Sergio Goes 1964-2008
Aloha Sergio
Farewell Sergio Goes
3 comments:
this is a very lovely post about our dear sergio. thank you so much for posting.
thank you my sweet friend for making this public and for your honesty and respect... we all miss him so much. he is such an amazing BEING!
see you in the waters off Kaimana
~Sumr
I have been following the stories and posts on the web from Philadelphia since I heard the news in July. Sergio gone is hard to believe and harder to accept. I still won't erase his number from my phone. I look at his stunning online portfolio for comfort and I've finally begun to know why its so gratifying. I begin to see how he saw. His photographs let us picture the world through his eyes and that perspective, his perspective, brings us into his world. Its almost as if he is still here. More than most people, he left us a viewfinder. Through his images we can see the way he wanted to capture the world. In his photographs of the ocean we see his indomitable spirit snapping a picture before being lent a hand. While at the fighting match we see his charisma with the ladies. With the capoeiristas we see his uncanny way of being right in the center of the party. He was especially sensitive with people and we see his knack of making you feel comfortable no matter what, because he took pictures of unabashed people, all kinds of people smiling and being pure in front of Sergio's lens. He encouraged everyone to shine. I certainly miss him now more than ever. One thing thats comforting is that I know that where ever he is, he is having fun and meeting good people and possibly getting ready to do something good for others....
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